Below is what IU basketball coach Darian DeVries said during his postgame radio interview with Don Fischer following his team’s 98-97 double overtime win over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion Saturday evening.
For the three keys to the game, highlights and final stats, GO HERE.
ON THE TEAM’S RESILIENCE TO PULL OUT THE WIN
“I just love the fight that they had. We got off to a slow start that first half, and then they were trying. They were trying to get it going, and then we were able to hit it a little bit, still trailed at half, and then the second half I thought as the half went on, they really grabbed control of the game.
“You know, for all intents and purpose, we were in a really good spot. But then things happened, you know, that we didn’t want them to happen, but they happened and the hardest thing sometimes is like, still stay in that fight when everything goes wrong that you could even imagine, and you can feel the pressure, and we just blew it, and they didn’t do it. They didn’t do it, they didn’t give into it. And that’s what I told them in the locker room. That’s what makes all of us in the locker room, everybody that supports this program, all of our fans back home, that’s all they want to see. They just want to see that fight. They want to see that resolve and these guys these guys had an unbelievable double overtime there to pull out a win, have a freshman make a play with a second left, and knock down the free throw to win the game. I mean, that takes some guts, you know?
“And I’m proud of this group. Every guy that sat on the bench, and every guy that got in that game, they all contributed., we’re running out of bodies. You were up next. So (to Fischer) I don’t know how your free throw shooting is, but it was it was a good hard fought win. I mean, was a hell of an environment in here. You know, the road wins are hard. I mean, in this league, especially, so whatever you had to do to get it, we’ll take it and it couldn’t be more pleased, more proud of them.”
ON PLAYING SHORTHANDED WITHOUT TAYTON CONERWAY AND PLAYERS FOULING OUT
“Yeah, it’s, again, they found ways, and Trent, his number was called, he wasn’t scared at the moment. He went in there, and he battled and made plays, and, gutsy, gutsy win. Really proud of him.”
ON SAM ALEXIS
“Yeah, made some big free throws there for us, too. Exactly. Yeah, it’s overall, just great, great effort by the guys.”
ON THE TEAM’S THREE-GAME WINNING STREAK
“Yeah, they’re playing with some confidence. Even during that losing streak, they never lost sight of, you know, who we were and stuff. We just weren’t getting the results we wanted in some of those games, and we knew why. We just had to fix it. And I think they’re on the path there. This is just another game, and we got a lot of games left, but now we go reset, and we got to try to go do it again on the road here on Tuesday and another big game for us. So, you know, after a double overtime, we got to get some legs refreshed and stuff and take care of ourselves and then get ready for another huge, huge fight on the road.”
